2. Watch Fish Become Food at Jagalchi Fish Market

At Korea’s largest fish market, I can’t count the number of fish I saw gutted, octopi peeled, crabs boiled and mystery fish prepped to be eaten while walking around the stalls and streets of Jagalchi Fish Market.

You see locals bargaining with the fisherman or vendor for the main dish at their next meal. Tanks and buckets of live fish and seafood of all kind line the sidewalks. Water splashes on the sidewalk and passersby as the seafood is taken out of their temporary water source to the cutting table to be eaten or straight into a black plastic bag to be taken home for a meal.

Behind most of the stalls are makeshift kitchens and restaurants where your fresh purchase can be cooked up (or not) and eaten on the spot, with other Korean side dishes and Soju.

Getting There

Take subway and exit at Jagalchi Station (Busan subway line 1), Exit 10. Turn right onto Jagalchi 3(sam)-gil Street. Walk for 5min, then turn left to arrive at Jagalchi Market.

3. Cruise the Alleyways of Gukje Market

Following the Korean War, refugees who fled to Busan set up stalls in order to make a living, creating the Gukje Market (Gukje actually means "international" in Korean).

One of Korea’s largest markets, each alleyway and open space is crowded with stalls hawking home goods, clothes, shoes, jewelry and delicious street food. It is a must to grab some food from one of the many food carts and in the market.

I scarfed down a deep fried, glass noodle stuffed green pepper and some fish cakes while standing in the middle of the market. Walking shoulder to shoulder through the alleyways, bumping into people eating while standing at the food carts or while bartering with a vendor for some shoes or necklaces.

I came back here a few times to grab some food and just walk around the alleys people watching and perusing the stalls.

Getting There

Metro to Jagalchi Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 7. Go 30m, turn left, and walk straight 5min to arrive at the market.

4. Get Your Beach Fix

Busan is known for its beaches, seven of them in total, and coming from a proud California girl, I am impressed.

The most popular beach for tourists is Haeundae. I didn’t step foot on the actual sand there because it was too crowded for my taste and knew I had another beach to check out, but I did grab some delicious fried shrimp from a food cart. It’s fun to walk around the streets of Haendae and I can tell in the summer this is a hot spot.

But I headed to Gwangan, a beach I heard is more popular among locals. The walk from the metro station had me questioning the taste of Korean beachgoers because it was pretty commercial and industrial, but once I got to the end of the street, I was in love.

Looking out to the beach you have an impeccable view of the Gwangan bridge and skyline. Surfers walked along the beach and caught the waves crashing in. I sat on the beach, under a tiki umbrella for hours, enjoying the view and feeling the sand between my toes.

Getting There

Gwangan: Metro to Geumnyeonsan (Line 2, exit 3). Go downhill, follow the signs.

Haeundae: Metro to Haeundae (Line 2, exit 3 or 5) follow the signs. Walk down a big street to the beach.

5. Root for the Busan Giants

Busan has a Korean Baseball League team called the Busan Giants. The stadium is easy to get to off the subway. Check out their schedule and buy a ticket at the stadium. It's cheap, fun and a great way to spend an evening in Busan!

6. Meditate at Beomeo-Sa Temple

Established in 678 as one of the ten major temples of the Avatamsaka School, Beomeosa is a beautiful temple set against an extraordinary mountain backdrop. It is a little bit out of the city but worth the trip if you enjoy temples. At some point all the Buddhist temples look the same and this one really isn’t too much different than the ones in Seoul, but for me, there is just something about these temples.

Getting There

Take subway and exit at Beomeosa (Line 1, exit 5). I took a taxi up to the temple. A taxi found me, tourists only go to that stop to go to Beomeosa. It cost 5,000 won.

Happy Wanderings!